Is the US culturally more similar to Latin America or Europe ?
Posted by palep_hoot@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 340 comments
Also I’d like to know why you think that way
clydex@reddit
Northern Europe.
A friend and I drove from the Midwest to Chile. Going from one country to the next, there were so many differences but there was what I saw as a pan-Latin Americanism. Mexico seemed to have a big cultural influence on Central America and Colombia played the same role in Northen South America. Once we crossed into Chile it was evident that Southern Europe played a bigger cultural role than other Latin American countries. It felt much more "American" than even our neighbor Mexico.
Fluffy-Mine-6659@reddit
Very broadly, the areas colonized by the French, British and Germans are more European. Those colonized by the Spaniards is more Latin.
Northeast and Midwest - Europe Southwest and Florida - LA
Severe_Flan_9729@reddit
It depends. Miami and the American Southwest? Latin America.
Rest of the country? MAYBE more European.
Flashy-Specific-4083@reddit
I live in the rural Midwest. I’d ten times rather have dinner with and hang with a Mexican family than European. Sorry, just my opinion. I’ve been around people from south of the border my whole life. I’ve been around Europeans just a little bit. I’m more comfortable around Latin culture.
LifeFindsAWhey@reddit
Going to exclude New Orleans and Acadiana like that? lol
OddProcedure5452@reddit
Where in Latin America, though?
So the answer is yes.
Severe_Flan_9729@reddit
Miami = Cuba
Southwest = Mexico
OddProcedure5452@reddit
This conversation makes me want to get some pupusas on the way home.
Electrifying2017@reddit
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sP4sdnYqUfM&ra=m
OmericanAutlaw@reddit
where i live id me more surprised to meet a european than a latin american of any sort
Odd_Negotiation_159@reddit
If we're just talking about how individuals interact with each other on a daily basis I feel like it's Latin America 100%
tcspears@reddit
It will depend on the state, as there isn't a unified American culture.
In the Northeast, we're somewhere in-between. We're much more friendly and informal compared to Europe, but we have much more structure and rules than Latin America. Our social systems come from our time as a British (or Dutch for NY) colony. We tend to be reagrded as colder than the rest of the US as well, but Europeans would probably find us more friendly than the average European city.
Going to California, it's a lot more like Latin America, where there are street vendors, people walking in the middle of the street trying to wash windows, and it feels much more like there aren't as many rules. Even in California though, many of the social systems come from their time as a Spanish colony. They tend to be much more friendly than other parts of the US and Europe, but still have a but more structure than Latin America.
Matban09@reddit
Which part of the country? Which part of the state? Which part of the city?
KaptainKetchupTN@reddit
Generally Europe especially England. There just happens to be a lot of foreigners from Latin America that make people think there might be any similarities. Honestly I’d say the US and Latin America are pretty antithetical to each other.
rdubmu@reddit
California, San Jose, San Diego and Los Angeles are very Latin American inspired. We have street names in Spanish.
SF is very American, or European inspired American. Same with other cities like Seattle, Portland on the west coast
Okuri-Inu@reddit
It depends on the region. I’d say the Northeast is more similar to Europe, and the Southwest is more similar to Latin America. Can’t speak for the other regions.
randocadet@reddit
The language is western european. The law system is western european. The religion is western european. The majority of the population is ethnically western european.
Latin american is more or less spanish version of european colonialism. The US is Germanic/British version of european colonialism. Protestant vs catholic etc.
But pretty clearly the US is still more in the western european vs southern european cultural bubble.
TheBlazingFire123@reddit
I would say most similar to west Europe, then maybe parts of Latin America before Eastern Europe
albertnormandy@reddit
How do you even answer this question? What metrics do we use to compare cultural similarity?
Frosty-Escape-4497@reddit
US is similar to the UK in terms of language and culture, and our founders were Anglo but less so with the rest of Europe. Despite the UK getting a lot of bad rap, citizens there also think negatively of Yankees as bad people.
sweet_hedgehog_23@reddit
The English common law system has also greatly influenced our legal system.
vrctsl@reddit
The metric system
BellaFromSwitzerland@reddit
Welcome to Europe bro
Aspen9999@reddit
We don’t use that in the USA lol
garrett_w87@reddit
Common misconception, actually — we use it quite a lot, alongside customary units.
vrctsl@reddit
I know lol it was a joke
musical_dragon_cat@reddit
What is this "metric system"? Don't you know we measure by bananas and football fields?
vrctsl@reddit
😂
Barutano74@reddit
In that case, American Imperialism strikes again! 😂
originaljbw@reddit
and that's why baseball isn't more popular overseas. They always want to play 10 innings to make it metric.
WarmLeg7560@reddit
You're not funny
Barutano74@reddit
Yes I am :)
HeySandyStrange@reddit
Not really.
Barutano74@reddit
Y’all will survive
Yankee831@reddit
As far as metric jabs go that was pretty funny
husky_whisperer@reddit
3.2cultures/similarity^3
freddbare@reddit
Brilliant!
aftersox@reddit
https://www.theculturefactor.com/country-comparison-tool
Doom_Corp@reddit
The question asker is also just grouping in literal continents of very diverse groups as if they're homogeneous in identity and "vibe" themselves. France alone is about the size of Texas and the country has its own cultural shifts depending on where you're located in the country. I imagine a lot of northern Texans, similar to northern Californians, experience less Mexican influence than their southern counterparts.
marbanasin@reddit
I mean - are you talking NorCal or true Northern California? Because I feel NorCal still has a very strong heritage and Mexican influence.
I can see up by Redding being much less so, though.
Adventurous-Chef8776@reddit
Well the metrics as everyone is saying is it depends. Some places are more like China, or Asia, or the middle east.
Outrageous-Pin-4664@reddit
Bold of them to assume I've ever been to either of those places. :p
capsrock02@reddit
Neither.
21schmoe@reddit
Both Europe and Latin America are diverse, and both regions are fine for the US.
holiestcannoly@reddit
Depends on your location. I'm from Pittsburgh, PA, which has a high population of German, Italian, Irish, and Polish people -- so it's more like Europe. Also there were "clubs" where you could go that was your ancestry (ex. Slovak Club, all people from Slovakia), and we have towns named after European ancestry, such as, "Polish Hill."
Tough_Tangerine7278@reddit
Spain and Portugal are as much of a part of Europe as Germany, Italy, Poland, and Ireland.
Now, if you said your area had a more recent influx of European immigrants (like first or second gen) then I would understand.
holiestcannoly@reddit
Spain and Portugal still aren't Latin America
Tough_Tangerine7278@reddit
The same that the USA isn’t Poland or Italy. That’s my point.
holiestcannoly@reddit
You can find people in Pittsburgh that still speak Eastern European languages, or Italian. A lot of our cuisine is based off of it.
Tough_Tangerine7278@reddit
Well by that logic, you can still meet folks that speak Spanish and Portuguese.
holiestcannoly@reddit
I wouldn't say Spain and Portugal are Eastern European but ok
Tough_Tangerine7278@reddit
No one said Eastern Europe. Just “Europe”. Not unless someone has edited.
holiestcannoly@reddit
I said Europe, but stated that it's very Eastern European centered.
IsThisDecent@reddit
And in California/Arizona/New Mexico/Texas, the exact opposite is true. Major cities have Spanish names, and even more native Spanish speakers.
TheOfficialKramer@reddit
This is what I was going to say. I'm from about 49 minutes N or the Burgh and we would be a lot different than Southern Texas in this regard. We like pierogis and hlushki more than tacos.
holiestcannoly@reddit
For sure! You can also find a European market way easier
TheOfficialKramer@reddit
I mean 40 mins, LOL, 49 looks stupid. I'm near Ellwood City, close to Zelie. I'm a short drive on 79 to 279 from the strip. It all has a more European vibe. I always thought of it as a Pittsburgh vibe though. The yinzer culture is a thing.
Broad-Cranberry-9050@reddit
yeah it;s really this. Im from new england so obvious answer should be europe but i also grew up in a very latino community, so many towns around me felt more like latin america.
So OP should specify.
Even canada, i went to toronto for the first time, felt like i was practically in new york city. Then i drove to montreal a few days later, i thought i was in europe for a second.
Frosty-Escape-4497@reddit
Montreal is schizo north america and europe combined.
jbenze@reddit
There’s a neighborhood near me that you had to be a certain percentage of German to live there until 10 years ago. It was something like 80% too (unsurprisingly, it was also formerly a Nazi camp)
Total-Humor-8019@reddit
Going to try and give a less vague answer here than most people. America is culturally a lot more similar to Northwest Europe. It's Protestant, partook in the industrial revolution, was highly capitalist from very early. It was also part of the world wars and shares that common experience.
Yes there are similarities but overall I think when people think of mainstream America that is more similar to Northwest Europe.
IsThisDecent@reddit
Sure, but in daily life Americans encounter far more people from Latin American than from Europe.
Total-Humor-8019@reddit
Most Americans are Europeans
IsThisDecent@reddit
Most Americans are descended from Europeans. Most Latinos also have European descent.
But on an average workday I will encounter multiple people born in Latin America, guaranteed, while I rarely encounter someone born in Europe
NatAttack50932@reddit
This isn't a one or the other thing. Latin America is also similar to Europe. We're all relatively similar to each other.
CarbonInTheWind@reddit
What could Spain possibly have in common with Latin America?
Xanadu87@reddit
In Spain the speak Spanish! In Mexico they speak Mexican!
/s
sleepytipi@reddit
You mean Old Mexico? Never heard of this "Spain".
NatAttack50932@reddit
Idk man, do they even speak the same language?
Severe_Flan_9729@reddit
It's almost like Spain also colonized most, if not all, of Latin America too.
NatAttack50932@reddit
No way?!
sleepytipi@reddit
Wait til you hear about that Hernan Cortez guy 😬
ComprehensiveEar6001@reddit
Get that weak ass vosotros shit out of here
*well in some of Latin America anyway*
Stealyosweetroll@reddit
In all. Voseo is different from vosotros.
EuphoricMoose8232@reddit
Not in Barcelona…
Curmudgy@reddit
They don’t speak Latin in Spain.
SavannahInChicago@reddit
A lot of Europeans immigrated to Latin America. I believe in Brazil they have cities that speak German or a bastardization of German from Immigration almost a century ago. Also, there are Latin American cities planned their cities like Europeans. Just look up Buenos Aires. It has a nick name - "The Paris of South America".
And Spain in the 15th century landed in what would become Latin America, forever changing the continent. Do you think that people in Latin America just started speaking Spanish for the hell of it?
BedbugBandido@reddit
Not sure if you're being sarcastic or not, but just about every Latin American city has a Spanish city plan with a center plaza, full of colonial architecture and Catholic churches. And then there's traditions, values, family structure, religion and of course language.
layzie77@reddit
The history,architecture,language,religion,law,the gene pool,etc.
RainyAlaska1@reddit
Spain colonized most of Latin America. They would have a lot in common.
Cpt_Rossi@reddit
Are you serious?
Hopeful_Pizza_2762@reddit
Spain controlled Nuevo México from 1598 until Mexico's independence in 1821, when it became a Mexican territory. The region featured missions, subsistence farming along the Rio Grande, and trade with Native peoples like Pueblo, Navajo, and Comanche. By 1800, the Spanish population reached about 25,000, far outpacing nearby colonies like Texas.
Cpt_Rossi@reddit
I know that Spain colonized almost all of Latin America hence the "Latin" in Latin America. Just like everyone else in the Western Hemisphere with a fourth grade education.
My question was to your other post seriously answering an obviously facetious remark.
Funny you didn't delete this one too.
Yankee831@reddit
I live by an adobe Spanish fort in Arizona. Also recently they found a bunch of Spanish cannons.
FLOHTX@reddit
🫨
quitealargeorangecat@reddit
It’s not like they speak the same language or anything!
VerifiedMother@reddit
Absolutely Nothing, Portugal even less so
ArchiePeligo@reddit
Los Angeles is more similar to Latin America. Mexico City is more similar to Europe.
fetus-wearing-a-suit@reddit
Eh, no
Hopeful_Pizza_2762@reddit
South Central?
Hopeful_Pizza_2762@reddit
I don't agree with that statement at all.
Legitimate-Big7482@reddit
I don’t agree with ur statement at all. We are all more similar than we’d like to admit, and cultural similarities can vary GREATLY depending on what part of a certain country u are in.
Hopeful_Pizza_2762@reddit
If we were so similar we would all get along.
FLOHTX@reddit
Who isnt able to get along with Latinos? I am a white guy from Ohio, lived in Miami, moved to Texas. Wife is Mexican/Panamanian. Its awesome. Sounds like a you problem.
Hopeful_Pizza_2762@reddit
A lot of people obviously. And why are you judging me? Who am I?
FLOHTX@reddit
Who are you? What you've told me so far is that you're uneducated and likely racist. Maybe I misconstrued your statements but doubtful.
Dangerous-Safe-4336@reddit
History is full of closely related countries at war with one another. After all. In 1775, the future USA was full of English people.
Not_an_okama@reddit
Nah, just look at highschools in suberbia. Mix of kids from similar socio-economic backgrounds and they still all hate eachother. The vast majority of these kids have lived their entire lives within a few milea of eachother.
RhymenoserousRex@reddit
Just about any historian or sociologist would have a field day with this statement.
BigCannedTuna@reddit
Exactly, that's why England and Ireland get along so well. Or North and South Korea. Or Russia and Ukraine
Electrifying2017@reddit
We have countries tearing themselves apart from within and this is your reasoning?
Ok_Volume_139@reddit
Lmfao look at the Balkans
NatAttack50932@reddit
That is not true LOL
rawbface@reddit
depending on what neighborhood in the same city you're in.
NatAttack50932@reddit
Would you care to elaborate?
Hopeful_Pizza_2762@reddit
Without writing a Theses or getting in trouble with Reddit for "hate" conduct? No. You can't tell the truth on here.
quitealargeorangecat@reddit
What could you possibly say on the similarities between Spain and their former colonies that could get you in trouble for hate speech?
rawbface@reddit
"cAnCeL cUlTuRe"
FLOHTX@reddit
Spain and their old Spanish colonies obviously have similarities right?
Warlordnipple@reddit
The vast majority speak a romance language and native languages are dying out, just like Europe.
Both have decent public healthcare with a booming medical tourism industry.
Government's and corruption levels are comparable if you look at all of Europe instead of what Americans usually mean by Europe (UK, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Portugal)
HegemonNYC@reddit
Plenty of LatAm is much more European than the US. Argentina and Uruguay in particular, but also the big cities in most LatAm countries.
Ghee-Starr@reddit
I’m not sure there is an actual way to answer this. I would say neither. The US was mostly founded by Europeans. But, affected by Indigenous populations that were already living here. Then affected by the influx of Africans who were brought here by force. The resulting mix is quite unique. The US is fairly tolerant of letting pockets of foreigners form their own neighborhoods where said foreigners can almost live like they did in their homeland. It provides for a lively foodie environment. I didn’t notice that as much when I lived in Europe. I also haven’t experienced it in Latin America (although my experience there is much more limited than in Europe.)
___coolcoolcool@reddit
Midwest and Northeast - Europe
South and Pacific coast - Latin America
jackslab1@reddit
They do say north carolina is the tijuana of the north
TheBimpo@reddit
Ah yes, coastal Washington, just like Brazil.
Algae_Mission@reddit
Parts of San Diego and LA are very similar to Mexico, though.
Washington state and Seattle in particular is more like Canada.
turquoise_amethyst@reddit
This 👆
Also OP gotta listen to the folks who’ve lived in 4+ states
LeckereKartoffeln@reddit
America is an explicit rejection of western culture and Europe. I would say they are closer to Latin America than Europe
bananabuckette@reddit
🤷🏾♀️ so many descendants of both that shape this country, when or if you come visit you tell us
Algae_Mission@reddit
It really depends on where you are. New Orleans is not like New York which is not like San Antonio which is not like Des Moines.
voltairesalias@reddit
I think there's definitely a dominant culture though that permeates every region and state in the US - with the exception of Puerto Rico and American possessions in the South Pacific.
There are absolutely regional subcultural variations from Prudhoe Bay to Key West, and from Honolulu to Maine, but the dominant culture is pretty in tact. There's not a huge cultural friction of distance in the US. If someone from Asia, Europe or Africa drove from Alaska to Florida they would be far more struck by the cultural homogeneity over such a diverse geography than they would the cultural diversity.
The US also has very significant cultural enclaves. I would argue that Black America is a distinct cultural variant. There's obviously also a massive Latin American population in the US that is also culturally distinct. There's indigenous cultural traditions that still remain in tact in different parts of the country too. But I would also argue that outside of some notable enclaves, these do not represent the dominant culture of the US.
Far-Lecture-4905@reddit
Look at you coming in here with actual thoughtful responses rather than just deducing because somebody you know didn't go to prom that there is no shared culture in the US.
voltairesalias@reddit
lol yeah. I get it, honestly. I think that we (I include English Canadians in this because I don't think we are culturally distinct from Americans) often inadvertently exaggerate subcultural difference precisely because of how relatively homogenous the dominant culture is on this continent. Freud actually had a term describing this phenomenon called the Narcissism of Small Differences.
Not_A_Crazed_Gunman@reddit
Don't tell the others, they don't like to hear that 🤣
voltairesalias@reddit
Oh I know I've been called a traitor for expressing that view. Been told I just should move, etc. I don't know why it's so contentious. It would take a pretty massive exercise in mental gymnastics to come to the conclusion that Canadians and Americans are culturally distinct.
Algae_Mission@reddit
There are definite similarities and they are closer to each other than some places, but many places in this country are quite different.
New Orleans and southern Louisiana alone are completely unique and different from anywhere else I’ve been to in the country, likewise parts of New Mexico or Southern California. And Hawaii has a totally different vibe from New York City.
JimBeam823@reddit
Latin America, but we are in deep denial about this.
rawbface@reddit
The United States is part of Latin America. Not as a whole country, but plenty of Americans are Latin Americans. It's not mutually exclusive.
boulevardofdef@reddit
Miami has been called the capital of Latin America
SabreLee61@reddit
The U.S. was built out of European (especially British) institutions, language, and cultural norms, so our legal system, economy, and individualistic mindset align much more with Western Europe them with Latin America.
We share some traits with Latin America as a “New World” society, but overall it’s clearly closer to Europe.
IsThisDecent@reddit
Latin America IMHO.
If only because so many Latin Americans and their descendants live here.
Spanish is the only European language (besides English obviously) one commonly encounters here. I see billboards in Spanish, most instruction manuals include Spanish directions, it is the only European language available on multiple stations with a basic cable package.
Plus there are just more people born in Latin America here than people born in Europe.
gdubh@reddit
Which part of the U.S.?
PghSubie@reddit
The US is a big place. Some areas are more similar to Latin America. Some are more similar to Western Europe. Some to Eastern Europe. Etc
purplehorseneigh@reddit
No, we're a secret third thing
Belkan-Federation95@reddit
I live in the Southwest, so my personal experience would be Latin America.
In general, Latin America due to the fact that both have European influence and both were European colonies at one point. Also, take into effect that it is far, far easier from an immigrant from Latin America to assimilate than it is for a European.
I honestly sometimes call our culture incompatible with Europe. We've grown to different.
BambooSound@reddit
Latin America is more culturally similar to different parts of Europe
Alert-Algae-6674@reddit
Europe
turquoise_amethyst@reddit
Depends. The West Coast, Southwest, Texas, and Florida are more culturally similar to Latin America. Northeast, Midwest, Eastern seaboard down to Georgia are European. The Central Plains and South are an even mix.
PersuasionNation@reddit
This is so dumb. The differences between those states are not so stark as to make one of them more like Latin America and the other Europe. You think you, in Portland Oregon, are more similar to Colombia than Europe? Lmao.
beenoc@reddit
The parts of the country that used to be Spanish colonies (so southern Florida and the Southwest from Texas to California) are a mix, ranging from "this is just Mexico" at the border to "the Mexican food here is pretty good but that's about it" at the outermost fringes. The rest of the country is absolutely, undeniably more European.
Now, things get more interesting if you compare Latin American influence to continental European influence. For obvious reasons, 90+% of European influence in the US is from the British Isles. But if you don't count that, then there's a lot more of the country that's more Latin American, and your breakdown is pretty accurate.
Alert-Algae-6674@reddit
I kind of disagree with that. Places like California and Florida may have more people from Latin American cultures, but the predominant culture in almost every American state is more Anglo-influenced than anything else
Spenny_All_The_Way@reddit
Depends on how far south you are.
therealdrewder@reddit
I'm not sure how to tell you this but latin American culture is just as European as American culture. Last i checked, Spain is in Europe.
nippleflick1@reddit
Where I'm at majority of the whole area is Europe, you go into areas where you may run into different ethnicities from Africa , Asia and India, to Latin America. Also, these ethnicities can be scattered within a larger European American community. Greater Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
hollylettuce@reddit
All countries in the Americas have a shared cultural heritage. Ways this manifests include but are not limited to:
Melting pot culture that celebrates the diversity present in these cultures. All of the americas are destinations for immigrants. Many countries also host signifigant diaspora communities.
A legacy of institutionalized segregation and colonialism. Also a dark legacy of genocide and the atlantic slave trade.
Most all of us have Birthright citizenship in order to prevent the existence of a citizenless underclass.
We share the similar government structure. Many latin American countries use the American system of Democracy or a hybrid system.
Nationalism. Open displays of nationalism like plastering your flag everywhere is common scross the Americas. Some European countries will do this too like France, but others like Germany see it as a taboo outside of sports.
Shared Western values of individualism, liberty, equality.
A culture that values politeness, openenness, and friendliness. All countries in the Americas are considered friendly and outgoing by most Europeans standards. There isn't a country here thats typified as reserved. Maybe Quebec? But thats pushing it extremely.
Culture of big meals. South America's meals will make the United States meals look tiny. Latinos love to eat just like us. Mexico fights with the US for fattest country.
The Car culture is similar.
Machismo. I think there's a lot of overlap between American ideas of masculinity and Latino Americans ideas of machismo.
This is obviously not an exhaustive list. I also know there are differences. The United States is kind of the red head of the Americas, lol. However the United States is undoubtedly more similar to the other nations in the Americas than it is to Europe.
sgtm7@reddit
Similar culture? Depends on what you mean by culture. Without further clarifications, I would say it varies depending on location.
OK_Stop_Already@reddit
It really depends on the region of the US. And as others said, even the part of the city you're in.
fbibmacklin@reddit
Yes, but also no. Be definitely yes.
Tough_Tangerine7278@reddit
But may no, too. Outlook uncertain; ask again later.
peeppip7@reddit
It is not both. America is primarily an Anglo-European culture. Sure there might be some influences from LATAM but a lot of those influences are from the European side of LATAM.
BookLuvr7@reddit
Usually Europe but it really depends on the state and often the city.
Danibear285@reddit
Absolutely!
AddemF@reddit
With the exception of the north-east, I'd say Latin America, easily. Northern Mexicans are almost indistinguishable from Texans. My experience with a few Brazilians, Venezuelans, Columbians, and Argentinians convinced me they're pretty similar to us. There are exceptions and obvious differences, of course.
Meilingcrusader@reddit
Europe. Though local culture in a lot of places esp florida and the southwest may be more similar to latin america
Eat_Locals@reddit
The unsung irony of contemporary America is that people were so afraid of America becoming Latin American demographically and socially that they elected someone who’s hell-bent on making it Latin American politically and economically.
Training_Hall5773@reddit
And that version of political and economic Latin America was brought by your truly, the USA.
Eat_Locals@reddit
Eehhhh, kinda? A lot of those places, if not run by Uncle Sam’s sonofabitch, would have been run by Uncle Joe’s.
I don’t like that, but I don’t think it’s wrong, self-serving as it may seem.
Norseman103@reddit
Yes.
SterilePlatypus@reddit
I think the cars, guns, history of slavery, and newness of the built environment leads to more similarities with Latin America than are immediately evident. The language barrier seperates the Americas but the hustle culture and violence are uniquely western hemisphere.
Turbulent_Bullfrog87@reddit
Cali_Anne@reddit
What a great answer. Most people are (willfully?) blind to this.
SceptileArmy@reddit
Is Belgium more culturally similar to France or the Netherlands?
LongjumpingGuess356@reddit
I live in phx on the Westside of town so I would definitely say latin america
GreenBeanTM@reddit
New England is closed to Europe and the and the further south the closer to Latin America you get.
OddProcedure5452@reddit
The answer is that the US is least like East Asia and probably a lot of Africa. But also, it’s like those places in some places, too.
Algae_Mission@reddit
Yeah, Hawaii and parts of Seattle and San Francisco very clearly have distinct East Asian influences.
ColumbiaWahoo@reddit
It’s a mix but I’d say it leans European
Sun_Sprout@reddit
You’re talking about a country that has millions of folks from all over the world that is the size of Europe. Some places, New Orleans for example, are more like Europe, some are more like Latin America such as New Mexico, Arizona, Texas.
For reference the United States is 237 times bigger than the Netherlands, your country is a little bigger than my city’s metro area. It takes 40-45 hours to drive from Los Angeles to New York (I guess that’s about the same as driving from Madrid to Moscow, interestingly!). I say all of this to illustrate just how different things can be from one place to another, so there’s no simple comparison, culturally speaking.
I’m originally from Detroit, which has a lot of French influences, so I’d say it’s more like Europe, but it feels very different to any European city I’ve been to.
Happy to chat more about it if you’re interested in anything more specific.
Training_Hall5773@reddit
New Orleans is very similar to Caribbean and Latin American cities and has a very unique history that doesn't really fit into any box. The current architecture French Quarter is actually Spanish colonial and not French. You could also make the argument that it's the most African influenced city in the US because of the history.
ForestOranges@reddit
I’ve been to both. I think we’re more similar Europe just because of the structure and organization. All societies have thing that are technically illegal but are tolerated.
You can’t drive like you own the road in America or Europe. We have much lower levels of corruption, I can’t buy my way out of a traffic ticket or arrest. I don’t have to give an official money to do their job. People just generally follow rules more in the US and Europe because it’s better enforced.
I remember landing at Guatemala City Airport for the first time and there’s all sorts of street vendors right next to signs in Spanish telling them that street vending isn’t allowed. Like yeah in America in big cities people sell stuff on the street, but in Latin America people do it everywhere. I also remember watching a group of community members fixing the road themselves and collecting donations because the government is that useless. Find the worst case of corruption and ineptitude in government in the US and Western Europe and it won’t even compare to things that happen in Latin America.
I think in terms of openness and friendliness, we’re like an in between point. Europeans enjoy small talk less and seem pretty disinterested in talking to strangers. Many Latin American countries are super friendly and warm. I think we’re friendlier than Europeans but not quite as warm as Latin Americans. Also, religion (at least in some regions of the US and Latin America) probably plays a bigger role in life compared to Europe.
No_Importance_750@reddit
Depends on where in the US. The southwest and the southeast are more like Latin America but northern states are more like Europe or Canada.
Training_Hall5773@reddit
There's a lot of diversity in the US and certainly regions that might feel more European, but I would argue Latin America. All of the countries in the Americas were founded on indigenous genocide and enslavement of African people. The major European powers did bring their cultures, but these were quickly mixed with other influences to create new hybrid cultures. There were successful revolutions against colonial powers and exploration into wide expanses of land like the American West, the Amazon, and the Pampas (cowboys, gauchos, vaqueros are all the same thing under different names). The whole continent had massive immigration waves from all corners of the world that brought new ideas and cultural contributions. There's something uniquely "American" in the continental sense that isn't shared with Europe.
PaepsiNW@reddit
Depends on the part of the city you're in. Depends on the city you're in. Depends on the state you're in. Depends on the region you're in.
It depends.
strongly-worded@reddit
Latin America is incredibly culturally diverse. No idea what you mean by “macroculture” in your edit. There is no such thing as one macroculture for every country from Mexico to the southern cone.
CantCreateUsernames@reddit
Neither? It really depends on where you are located. The southwest US has a lot of Latin American influence, but it varies by city, neighborhood, and what part of Latin America people are from. There are also parts of the US that are heavily influenced by various Asian cultures, such as SF (Chinese) and San Jose (Vietnamese).
Intelligent_Pop1173@reddit
I found a lot of Latin America to be more similar to Europe than a lot of the US so I don’t know how to answer this lol all three regions are huge and you can’t really generalize.
musaXmachina@reddit
Collectively, neither. Certain communities sure. There’s parts of the US with communities that have always spoken Spanish or Italian,etc.
Unsolven@reddit
In “macro culture” I’d so both those places are more influenced by the US than the US is by them. The world over people are just copying TikTokers in LA.
veritable-truth@reddit
It's similar to both because Latin America is similar to Europe. Europe had a profound influence for good and bad on the Americas.
Queermagedd0n@reddit
I can tell you we got our racism from Britain
wolf3413@reddit
So racist we're going to let other races demographically overwhelm both of our countries without firing a shot. Actual lmfao. Anti-racism has been the secular faith of the West for 80 years.
New_Entertainer_4895@reddit
I'm American and have lived in Poland and Brazil.
I'd say America is much more similar to Europe. On a superficial basis there are strong similarities with Latin America in the US (food and music mostly), but the deeper society and culture in the US has much more in common with Europe.
You have various groups having their own neighborhoods and communities, and while things may bleed out of a community and become a national dish (tacos in the US or doner kebab in Germany) there's a clear continuity where a community exists and maintains its boundaries. In brazil at least there's far too much mixing and ethnic enclaves don't really last.
American politics is very similar to european politics. You can map american parties very cleanly onto European parties and the hot topics (immigration, war) are all the same. I really struggled to understand Brazilian politics because the parties here don't line up in a logical way to American or European politics.
Social trust in the US is very similar to Europe. It's not remotely similar to latin america. Latin america is not a high trust society and the US isn't as high trust as most european countries, but it's much more similar. Latin america is also much more tolerant in general than either the US or Europe.
Positive_Strain8321@reddit
I mean I dont see much of a difference between Dallas and Monterrey. Both are highway designed cities in an arid climate with American pickup trucks, football fields, Costco and multiple cross border migrations and interactions. But thats just one cherry picked case. Boston and Buenos Aires would be more comparable to Europe So the answer to this question is that you cant make one blanket statement it all depends on where
QuarterMaestro@reddit
"Mainstream" American culture has always been dominated and largely shaped by people of British descent, along with other Europeans who quickly assimilated into the dominant Anglo culture. So the answer is (Northern) Europe.
latin220@reddit
The USA is about the size of continental Europe held in a union which is managed by an empire. Meaning the citizens of this empire widely range from socialist to fascist and liberal to conservative. Progressive states like Massachusetts and New England in general is very similar to Netherlands, UK, Germany in terms of values, healthcare, education outcomes.
States like Oklahoma or Mississippi are more akin to third world countries though not necessarily Latin America. The state of Florida especially Orlando to Miami is very much like Latin America with all the inequities that come with it.
Remember US of America is huge and each region is very different and it can be argue that that there isn’t one single America but 5 and of those 2 major polities ie cultural differences, accents and histories the Northern Yankees who value progressivism, tolerance, democracy, cultural diversity, education, immigration, music and arts. Then you have Dixie land ie the opposite values in large part to Yankee land. Two very different societies with enclaves and mixed communities in between. There are cities in the South like Dallas Texas that are akin to any Yankee city in the North in terms of its values. Same with Yankee cities in the North being just as conservative if not more so than many in the South. It’s not black or white or Latin American influenced or European it’s both and not.
cohrt@reddit
Europe.
old_Spivey@reddit
Europe, because it is the basis for all financial, economic, and political structures in both North and South America.
Past_Recognition7118@reddit
Pretty much every question in this sub can be answered with “it depends where you’re at”.
madqueen100@reddit
Which region of the U.S. are you talking about? Which country in Latin America, or which country in Europe? You are asking a question unanswerable in its current form.
LoadCan@reddit
Depends which neighborhood of what city you're in.
Fantastic_Tomorrow53@reddit
Culture????
Showdown5618@reddit
I think Europe.
prosperosniece@reddit
Depends on the region
Glittering-Emu-1975@reddit
Both and neither.
Ok-Energy-9785@reddit
Yes
Level_Mastodon_8657@reddit
Well, I’ve been living in South Florida for four years and have met people from 27 South and Central American countries. So at least for Florida I’d say Latin America. I love the food culture here!
theneonwind@reddit
Europe is very big with many cultures. So is Latin America. The United States is as well.
alittledanger@reddit
Dual U.S./Irish citizen here that also lived in Spain for a few years. I also speak fluent Spanish and near fluent Portuguese.
It’s definitely Latin America. It’s not every country but they are more like us in many ways. Once you get past the language barrier, it’s way easier to strike up friendships with people in LatAm than it is with people from Europe in my experience. They also have a history of immigration and are more religious, just like us.
I think people are saying Europe just because of skin color. But there are still a lot of differences. I grew up in a neighborhood where at the time almost everyone in my class was either the child or grandchild of someone from Ireland, Italy, a country that was in the USSR, or China. We used to call white people with distant European ancestry the "real white people” because they were so different culturally.
WiseQuarter3250@reddit
it completely varies based on location.
Parts of the US were Spanish or Mexican controlled, parts British or French.
So you get these pockets that harken back elsewhere and then somethings are uniquely an identity made by modern Americans.
NekoArtemis@reddit
I'm eating locally made brie and drinking local rosé of sangiovese in a town that used to be a part of Mexican ranchera and was also a Russian mining town, you tell me.
ophaus@reddit
Neither. The US isn't a melting pot, it's a salad bowl.
jodebane@reddit
As an American who has visited Latin America and Europe a lot, my perception personally is that for the most part the US is more similar to Europe. Going to Latin America from the US (assuming you are really seeing the countries and not just hanging out in beach resorts) feels like more of a culture shock to me.
dr_strange-love@reddit
It's big enough to do both, and more.
Saltpork545@reddit
Neither and both at the same time.
The US is a giant place with distinct subcultures.
https://www.amazon.com/American-Nations-History-Regional-Cultures/dp/0143122029
This is a book I suggest reading. While not perfect, it does a good job giving a top down view over the major subcultures of the US and how they differ.
The way I put this into a single line: A chicken farmer in Kansas might have nothing in common, including language, from an accountant who lives in a Miami high rise other than the fact that they're both American.
Timely-Youth-9074@reddit
US is generally more similar to Northern Europe; Latin America is more similar to Southern Europe.
PreWiBa@reddit
I'd argue it's more and more Latin American nowadays, as someone who visited from Europe and did so a few times every couple years.
People say European immigration as if Argentina or Uruguay arent of majority European descent too.
Another factor is that the last big wave of immigrants from Europe was after the Second World War.
The US with its pick-up trucks, very open religiosity, turbulent politics and bigger tolerance for violence (gun rights) is much closer to Colombia or Brazil than most people like to admit, most because of racist intentions. They are all "New world" countries, its unnatural for them to NOT be more similar.
maybiiiii@reddit
Certain states have Latin/Indigenous or Spanish style buildings because it mirrors similar styles the indigenous people used.
Early American settlers did not know how to create buildings that could sustain heat (Arizona, New Mexico) so they adopted Mexican style, indigenous style, Spanish Style, Mediterranean.
Anything they would’ve brought over from Europe would’ve immediately caught fire or would’ve been too hot to actual live in. There was no central air or AC so if you wanted to live comfortable you had to do what the natives were doing to live there. So they copied.
From that point on houses get created based on style to keep the neighborhoods pretty and consistent.
TrillyMike@reddit
Yeah
CG20370417@reddit
North American and Latin American culture are both similarly dissimilar offshoots of European culture.
Its like asking if you are more like your cousin or your grandfather.
US/North American Culture largely comes from protestant Europe. Latin America obviously then comes from Catholic Europe.
Then there is the division at the end of slavery, in North America, the colonizers generally supplanted the indigenous people and after an often violent end to slavery (US, Haiti, Mexico, Barbados(Canada--the British win in Barbados but that experience sours the British on slavery as an institution)) the colonizers maintain control of the country.
In Latin American there was a lot more interbreeding, nearly intentional Spanish destruction of indigenous civilizations, and then wars for independence from Spain itself which included emancipation as a matter of course.
As such, there is a different spectrum of appreciation for what elements of European culture each of our cultures have inherited.
Beyond that...they're broadly the same. But then remember that that simple division is responsible for hundreds of years of warfare across the continent. So maybe its a bit deeper of a divide than it first seems.
khauser24@reddit
You left out a bunch.
Look, when they say the US is a melting pot, it's really true. It's REALLY true when you live in certain places. Not where I am now, but I grew up in NYC. So many cultures...
So, which is more diverse? European culture or Latin American? Only way I could considering answering.
mar_de_mariposas@reddit
Both in different ways. We are similar to Latam in that we have a mix of cultures and also are more sociable with people we don't know (something I don't see outside of the Americas but is almost universal across the Americas), but we are very similar to England too.
no2rdifferent@reddit
Latin America. Europe is represented, but I don't follow the out-of-touch.
Cookies4weights@reddit
As a whole, Europe
ontheleftcoast@reddit
More like Western Europe. Although in some areas, spanish is spoken more than English, for the most part the laws and customs followed are more like those in Western Europe.
No_Fee_8997@reddit
Latin America is heavily influenced by Europe and European immigrants.
RecentFig7766@reddit
depends where you are my friend
aoeuismyhomekeys@reddit
I'd say Latin America but the US is pretty different from both regions so this is kind of a weird question imo
PsychologicalCan9837@reddit
Yes.
Athrynne@reddit
The answer is probably both/neither. This country is so diverse that we're mostly similar to ourselves.
The49GiantWarriors@reddit
San Francisco is 37% Asian, 36% non-Hispanic white, 16% Latino, 6% black.
34% of the people of SF were born outside the US.
Nomer77@reddit
Our Gini index (wealth/income inequality) and rates of violent crime strongly suggest we're Latin American.
MainelyKahnt@reddit
Location dependent for sure. I'm in New England. We didn't get that name for nothing and I'd say it's the most "European" area in the country by a wide margin in architecture, landscape, and culture. However I'd definitely say the heavy European influence is very noticeable in all of the major colonial era cities. The southwest definitely feels more like Latin America than anywhere else for the same cultural and architectural influence reasons. Also there are of course many more people of Latin American heritage there and many more people with strong European heritage up here (Irish and Italian are standouts,.with Portuguese coming in closely behind especially in Massachusetts).
datsyukianleeks@reddit
The answer is complicated. When it gets right down to it I think the 3 countries (outside of North America) that US has the most in common with are Australia, brazil, and England. The American majority holds tight to its cultural ties to northern europe, but our history is much closer to latin America. We also have diverged hugely from northern europe in many cultural aspects at this point, so what Americans cling to is more of an idea than a reality. In terms of 21st century relevant cultural aspects, we are closer to latin America because of how our economic systems have developed, because of our common historical origins. Obviously, linguistically we are in different worlds.
Virtual_Perception18@reddit
It depends on region:
Northeastern US - Europe
Midwestern US - Europe
Southern US - Latin America
Western US - Latin America (arguably even Asia)
—
The northeast is obvious since it is the most “pan European” region of the US, being heavily settled by not only the British but the Irish, French, Germans, Dutch, Jews, Italians, and Slavs. Slavery was abolished earlier on like other European nations and the region still continues to be the main place Europeans gravitate to when coming to the US.
Nowadays, you do have a lot of Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, etc in the NE but they also live in very multicultural, oftentimes “Pan-African” communities, usually alongside other Caribbeans, Black Americans, and Africans. Latin culture isn’t the “premier” culture of NYC or Jersey despite them having large numbers there. It’s more comparable to the multicultural neighborhoods of London than it is to very Latin cities like Miami or San Antonio.
The Midwest is arguably the most purely American region but it is ultimately closer to Europe. It’s the most homogeneous region and also abolished slavery when most other European nations did. Heavily Anglo, German, and Scandinavian with a sizable urban Black, Mexican, and Asian populations however
The South is Latin American in spirit more so than actual culture. Texas and Florida are outliers of course (Mexican and Cuban respectively) but the hierarchal racial system (white at the top, Black and native at the bottom), its refusal to abolish slavery, and the very macho, toxic masculine culture made it more similar to other Latin American nations like Brazil. The North was egalitarian and bureaucratic, the South was hierarchical and aristocratic.
The West is by far the least “American” region. The further Southwest you go (Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico) the more Mexican it gets, to the point where you can practically be in Mexico culturally (Calexico, California). The further northwest you go (Washington and Oregon) the more European, Canadian, and Asian it tends to get.
Seattle, Washington is much more connected to Canada and East Asia than it is Mexico. Phoenix, Arizona is more connected to Mexico than it is to East Asia or Canada.
MsSamm@reddit
Depends. If you're in a neighborhood or part of a city with primarily people of European descent, there's that culture. If you're in a neighborhood or part of the city with primarily people of Hispanic descent, you have Hispanic, but not necessarily Latin American culture
I'm of European descent, so I can't expound on the differences between Puerto Rican, Mexican, Dominican, Latin American or Spanish culture, except for superficially.
Vodkaboris@reddit
This is the wrong question but the answer is that the US is more culturally diverse than most parts of Latin America & Europe.
LifeFindsAWhey@reddit
It's wholly dependent on where. Like where I grew up in Louisiana, way more in common with Latin America because I'm Cajun. My wife is Puerto Rican, and I am always shocked about how similar the culture is.
But run that back to most northern cities, especially if you are excluding immigrant cultures, they are more similar to European culture.
TowElectric@reddit
Boston or Stamford? Europe.
Houston? San Diego? Latin America
BurritoDespot@reddit
Define US culture
Pineapple_Trvphaus@reddit
The US is culturally kind of its own thing entirely with some many different cultures existing within the same country. Europe and Latin America aren’t culturally monolithic either, so that kinda makes this a difficult question to definitively answer.
But, to somewhat answer the question, it really depends on where. A lot of South Florida may culturally feel more aligned with Latin America(specifically the Caribbean), while a lot of New England may culturally feel more aligned with parts of Europe.
Due-Introduction-760@reddit
The answer is, "yes"
bit_shuffle@reddit
We're in a transition period. America's culture is "Latinizing" across the board.
Probably the biggest indicators are the recent reactionary push for immigration control, and Marco Rubio and Alexandra Occasio Cortez.
Oddly enough, Hispanic Americans themselves are split on this. Native born Hispanic Americans and legal migrants as often as not hold strong positions against illegal migrants. They left Mexico, Cuba, Honduras, Guatemala, etc. because there are deep systemic problems in those countries, and they don't want those problems repeated in the US.
Rubio and Cortez tend to have less European stances as well. Rubio's use of his powers as Secretary of State are more akin to Latin American authoritarianism than American conservatism. Cortez's positions are more like Latin American "socialismo" than American liberalism.
MovieAshamed4140@reddit
IMO both because of our huge minority populations of both Hispanics and non Hispanic Caucasians. We are truly a melting pot regardless of how we are portrayed in media.
asteriskelipses@reddit
Its a melting pot, my dude
GotchUrarse@reddit
100% this. I live across the street from this charming older African American couple. Next to them is a Latino couple. The other side is a Russian couple. And next door to me is his 90 year Jewish guy. And I'm a white guy loving having all the culture around me.
asteriskelipses@reddit
Quite the block!
RelativeTangerine757@reddit
Overall probably Europe, but also the US is huge and varies greatly among regions.
nwbrown@reddit
It varies tremendously.
Quilty79@reddit
Depends on what area of the country you are asking about. Where I currently live, it would be Latin America. Other places I have lived, it would be European, but then, it would be from which part of Europe. Then there are areas with large Asian influence and other world regions.
im_in_hiding@reddit
The answer depends on where in the US. If I HAD to pick one for the entire country as a whole, Europe.
Round_Rooms@reddit
I think india is around the same.
soulless_ape@reddit
It's nothing like either.
I would say latam countries have more in common with Europe (just my experience, Portugal, Spain, Italy)in the way people are than the US. People in the US can be polite and even warm but they seem colder and distant compared to how friendly and welcoming abroad.
EZBreezyBeautifulCBD@reddit
Melting pot, some cities like mine also have Asian and African culture similarities.
Yggdrasil-@reddit
The answer could differ depending on which side of my city you're on.
ivantmybord@reddit
Same in Colorado
Ficsit-Incorporated@reddit
Same
Kevin_St_Moron@reddit
Which side of the block even!
ComprehensiveEar6001@reddit
Same
sickostrich244@reddit
If you focus on the Northeast or Midwest regions then it'd be more similar to a European culture but if you're around the southern border or closer to the West Coast it's gonna have more Latin American influence.
SoftLast243@reddit
I think it depends on where in the U.S. you’re from.
capndiln@reddit
It might be helpful if you can describe some of the obvious cultural differences between europe and Latin america. Then the us respondents could compare to that.
palep_hoot@reddit (OP)
I haven’t been to Latin America so I’m probably not going to be accurate. But Latin America - USA Both on the same continent(s) Both settler-colonial history Both aren’t homogenous
Europe - USA US gets alot of its language/culture from Europe Both are (mostly) highly developed
Personally I have a feeling that the US is more culturally similar to Latin America than it is to Europe bar the UK, but because of the fact that Latin America is less developed life in the US looks more like life in Europe
Due_Satisfaction2167@reddit
American culture is an American culture, not European.
MiddlePop4953@reddit
The answer to that question varies wildly depending on where you are in the US.
ATLien_3000@reddit
The US and Latin American nations are both first order colonies of European nations.
Worth remembering - not sure what that means as to an answer to your question, especially if you set aside the obvious language differences.
diffidentblockhead@reddit
Birthright citizenship. Violent crime.
NoneOfThisMatters_XO@reddit
Depends what state you’re in. Keep in mind the US is huge.
quitealargeorangecat@reddit
Depends on the state. The Southwest, Florida, Puerto Rico and some parts of New York are very culturally Latino.
RogerRabbot@reddit
Is Europe culturally more similar to the people in Alaska or the Horn of Africa?
Big big an area, too broad a question. Remember EU folks, one state is approx size of your countries.
People in New England are obviously more influenced by Europe, whereas people living in the Southwest are more influenced by the natives of Mexico and the area itself. Whereas places on the far west coast developed late enough to have their own American culture not really disproportionately attributed to one culture or another.
ObjectiveElefant@reddit
It’s a melting pot, but if we’re going either majority, that would be European.
kimchipowerup@reddit
Depends on what part of the US you’re currently in, honestly. It’s a BIG country with many cultural influences from around the world… at least until this current administration has been trying to eradicate all diversity and progress made by immigrants from around the world 🌎
Haruspex12@reddit
Both as both are descendants of European and indigenous cultures. Every area of the United States has concentrations of particular immigrant groups. One of the frustrations of the MAGA groups is that they feel like they are being replaced. That ignores that the moment we are born, we are in the process of dying and being replaced.
It’s better to ask which areas are influenced by which cultures.
daveescaped@reddit
Europe.
Latin America is very family centered and communal whereas northern Europe is less so. American individualism is at odds with Latin American culture.
Sure, we have a big Latin component, but they kind of stand apart and almost at odds with the primary culture.
Just an opinion. Not a hill I’d die on.
I loved overseas for a decade and US culture became more apparent to me after being outside of it.
Happy to hear divergent opinions.
broadsharp@reddit
Depends on where you live.
Old-Hearing-9400@reddit
Much of America’s foundational culture descends from the primarily English and Scots-Irish settlers. Obviously, it has had its own development, and has been altered by subsequent immigrant populations, but I would argue that America’s Western cultural “core” retains much of its European (specifically British) origin. Our language, our schools of thought, our legal tradition, the literature we read, etc., remain heavily influenced by our origin as a British colony.
SakanaToDoubutsu@reddit
I'm going to throw a curve ball and say neither, the US is generally closer to Asia than either Latin America or Europe.
oremfrien@reddit
There are two main problems with this question:
(1) The United States, Europe, and Latin America are all very diverse. The area around New York City, Appalachia, and the American Southwest are lucky to all sit within the same borders. Europe is even more diverse with Russia, Spain, Sweden, and Greece all being about as different from each other as is possible to be. Latin America has wildly different countries from more indigenous places like Bolivia, more Black places like the Dominican Republic, and more European-dominated places like Uruguay. So, it's not clear what you are comparing to what.
(2) It's not obvious what makes a place more "culturally similar". Is it that they eat the same foods, that they have the same religious traditions, same political perceptions, same climate adaptations, etc.?
Beneficial_Arm4874@reddit
The UK and Latvia are both European countries, it’s hard to make a comparison with so much variance in the categories.
Jdobalina@reddit
Depends. Are you in El Paso or Boston? Are you in New Orleans or Portland?
Kaenu_Reeves@reddit
It's a mix of both, but I'll say it's closer to Europe.
___daddy69___@reddit
with the exception of the southwest, the vast majority of the country is more similar to Europe
RE_Towers@reddit
No.
kitch2495@reddit
We look like Europeans but party like Latin Americans
jacowab@reddit
Neither. US food is a fusion of cuisine from Europe, Africa, Asia, and obviously America.
CockroachNo2540@reddit
Weird question. Just looking at a place in Latina America such as Buenos Aires or Montevideo, they are more European than anything in the US.
Plus, the US has some pretty diverse areas of vastly differing ages so European influence may be greater or lesser.
Lastly, if you had to chalk up the most influential culture on the US, it would likely be the United Kingdom.
siestarrific@reddit
Yes
chri8nk@reddit
But also, no.
RedLegGI@reddit
Perfect
SemanticPedantic007@reddit
I suspect that the answer ten years from now will be very different from what it was ten years ago. Cultures are evolving things, and for better or worse the US and Europe seem to be evolving in different directions.
WashuOtaku@reddit
I'm confused. Latin America gets their culture from Europe, the same as the United States.
Ok_Still_3571@reddit
You’re asking for comparisons for a country that is large, with many different cultures having an influence on it. Latin America has had an impact on regions in the US, but more so in the southwest than say, The Great Plains. To compare us with Europe is also a bit hard. I’ve traveled to Europe, have many friends, and some family there, and there a significant differences country to country. So there’s no direct way to say how Europe is similar to the US. Maybe within certain areas where there had been a large immigrant population (thinking of Little Italy neighborhoods in larger cities). But overall, culture in the US is a distillation of many countries and continents.
DavidVegas83@reddit
The US is far too diverse culturally to cleanly fit into this question. You’d be better to divide the US by states or regions.
If we just took AZ, CA, FL, NM, NV, TX that accounts for 107m people and these states clearly align better with Latin America.
Equally if we took NY, NJ, MA, IL, MN, CT, MI that’s 69m and clearly better aligns with Europe.
That leaves 159m people not accounted for, I’d argue most of those people in the middle don’t cleanly fit with Latin America or Europe, they’re much more unique.
jim2527@reddit
Europe
maxharaku@reddit
Most is european unless coastal or southwest.
TheBimpo@reddit
Is San Antonio more like Oslo or more like Montevideo?
Is Dallas more like London or Mexico City?
Is southwest Detroit more like a neighborhood in Monterey or a neighborhood in Berlin?
I have no idea how you'd compare this on a macro scale. We'd spend all day quibbling about the parameters first.
ViperMom149@reddit
It varies by region. From Texas to southern California the culture seems to be influenced by Latin America. The Eastern part of the country seems to favor Europe. The Midwest is its own beast as is the “dirty South.”
notthegoatseguy@reddit
There are ton of people from and descended from Latin America already living here. I feel they are cut from the same cloth as us even though they are very real cultural differences.
All the Mexicans and Venezuelans I've known have been ambitious and dream high. Doesn't mean they always make it or they may have to adjust those dreams as life progresses, but they have those dreams.
I've known more than a few Europeans who don't have huge aspirations and are fine living life on easy and predictable mode.
Imightbeafanofthis@reddit
The answer to this question depends on what part of the US you are in. Writ large, the proper answer is yes to both.
GravesDiseaseGirl@reddit
At this point we are the worst first world country or the best third world country.
Chaseoliver@reddit
I’d say the people of European descent are more similar to Europe, while those of Latin descent are more Latin America
ImaginaryNoise79@reddit
I really depends. There's a reason we use the metaphor "melting pot".
To me, the European aspects of our culture are pretty clear, but I grew up white in a white majority town. Where I live now, if I go to my favorite taco place an hour before closing I'm likely to get a cashier that doesn't speak English. That's very "American" too.
GSilky@reddit
Depends on where you are. SW is much more influenced by Hispanic and indigenous culture, and NW has heavy indigenous influence as well. My state started 100 years after the revolution, European influence is pretty much Spanish and French names on everything, populated by American-Americans, mostly freed slaves and working class people fed up with east coast nonsense at the time.
voltairesalias@reddit
Outside looking in - I'd say Europe definitely for the dominant culture. But the US also has a very significant Latin American population, so obviously they share quite a bit more in common with Latin American cultures. But the dominant Anglo-American culture is IMO indisputably closer to western European cultures in every conceivable way. You average American would likely feel more at home in England or Germany than they would in Bolivia or Costa Rica.
azerty543@reddit
As others have said this really depends on location. Overall, bullet to the head ill say European but its hard because most of the Latin influence comes from Mexico which itself has tons of European influence.
PickleMundane6514@reddit
I’ve lived in all three and I would say it’s definitely Latin America. Actually I live in a city in northern Mexico now and you can’t tell the difference between it and Texas except the houses have walls around them.
limbodog@reddit
Hell, parts of the US aren't even similar to each other. I think we've got a lot of both, along with inputs from Africa and Asia in healthy doses as well.
781nnylasil@reddit
It’s more similar to Canada
HarlequinKOTF@reddit
Depends which states you're talking about.
Texas and west are more Latin, everything east of Texas is more European, but unless you're in New England you would not confuse it with New England.
Alaska is more Russian.
Hawaii is more Asian.
azerty543@reddit
So much of this is off. Florida is certainly more Latin American influenced, Alaska is nothing like Russia except its far north (you do realize Russia is a heavily urbanized population right?) And i wouldn't put the "west" in such a blanket statement. Washington isnt particularly Latin American influenced for instance.
HarlequinKOTF@reddit
Depends the part of Florida. Southern Florida is Latin though sure.
Direct_Library_6171@reddit
The answer in the vast majority of the USA is Europe. European immigrants made up the entirety of America’s immigrants from 1776 - 1965. You can’t just erase the impact that has in many metro areas across the country.
With that said, along our southern borders the influence of Latin America has absolutely outstripped Europe. In Florida, Texas, and California, Latino culture dominates and they make up the vast majority of the population in places like LA, Miami, and numerous cities in Texas. El Paso TX is 90% Mexican Hispanic. At that point, Latino culture is the only culture.
GotchUrarse@reddit
Almost the entire South would like a word... and I'm pasty white guy.
TheExquisiteCorpse@reddit
I think Latin America and Europe are more similar to each other than either is to the US.
It depends where in the country you’re talking about. The Northeast? Europe (mostly). California, Texas, and the Southwest? Definitely Latin America (mostly).
Dave_A480@reddit
Neither. We are culturally more similar to the UK, which is culturally distinct from mainland Europe.
Alarming-Series6627@reddit
I've lived all over the US and all over Europe.
The Northeast and Midwest are more similar to Europe.
The Southwest is more similar to Latin America.
The West is a mix.
The Southeast is its own.
Small_Dog_8699@reddit
Which part?
Boston is more like England than most places, New Mexico, Arizona, SoCal are closer to LatAm.
njmiller_89@reddit
In many ways, the US is more dissimilar from both Europe and Latin America than they are from each other.
You’ve asked an impossible question.
ProcedureOne4150@reddit
Honestly it depends on where you are. The US is about the same size as all of Europe combined, so there is no single answer. California has huge Hispanic and Asian communities alongside a lot of European influence. Wisconsin feels pretty German and Scandinavian. South Texas blends right into northern Mexican culture. East Texas feels like its own thing entirely.
I served with guys from all over the country in Afghanistan and we did not all grow up the same way at all. Same nation, completely different backgrounds. That is kind of the whole point of America.
nsnyder@reddit
More similar to UK/Ireland than to Latin America. More similar to Mexico than to a lot of Europe.
Tisalaina@reddit
Upon what cultural parameter are you making the comparison? If multiple parameters, are they weighted? Which Latin American countries are included in the comparison? Argentina skews more European than Guatemala.
MyUsername2459@reddit
Near the southern border, and in some other specific places like Miami, the US is culturally similar to Latin America.
Most of the US is closer to Europe culturally, however.
_Bon_Vivant_@reddit
Yes
cloudysquach@reddit
There's not an answer to that question. You cant generalize the US. It's too big. So the answer is it depends on where you are. It could be one, the other, or something else all together.
ihatecarswithpassion@reddit
Depends on what part of the US and what part of Latin America and what part of Europe. Los Angeles is miles closer to Mexico City than it is to Berlin, but NYC is closer to Berlin than it would be to Asuncíon
yellowdaisycoffee@reddit
Well, that depends on the region....The Northeast is more like Europe, the southwest is more Latin American, etc.
AdamOnFirst@reddit
No
DishsUp@reddit
That is highly dependent on region
BananaJelloXlii@reddit
Culturally, Europe. Politically, North Korea.
Mysterious-Ruby@reddit
It really depends on where in the US. My opinion from what I know from traveling is that the East, and Midwest are similar to Europe. The South is a mixed bag, New Orleans has French roots so it feels European, but Miami is right off the Caribbean so it has a Latin American feel. The Southwest has a lot of Latin American culture, but the Northwest is more culturally European.
That's my opinion anyway.
stabbingrabbit@reddit
Depends on where you are. German, Irish, Spanish, and English. Plus you have French in Louisiana. Then just about everywhere you have some African.
DadPuncher69@reddit
In many way the US isn't culturally homogenous, so it can vary from state to state, city to city, and even block to block.
JoyfulNoise1964@reddit
Depends what part of the US
Cinisajoy2@reddit
What part?
sneezhousing@reddit
Depends on where you live in the country
Certain-Monitor5304@reddit
American culture is unique. South America is closer to Europe.
Algae_Mission@reddit
…Europe. Unless it’s an area that is heavily influenced by Latin America or the Caribbean like LA, San Diego, or Miami, the US very much is informed by its European influences. Particularly the UK.
But even then, I don’t think of it as a one-to-one comparison. The US has very much become its own thing. I don’t think of Seattle or Denver as particularly European, personally.
Cities like Boston or Philadelphia might have more of a European bend?
ApprehensiveSkill573@reddit
It's a melting pot.
No_Consideration_339@reddit
Both.
We have birthright citizenship like most of Latin America, and we share similar, but not identical colonial experiences, and the slavery experience. We are more egalitarian than most of LA, but less so than most of Europe.
But other than that, we are populated mostly by people with European ancestry and they brought over their cultural traditions. We lack the defining experiences of WWI and WWII on our own soil and are still too militaristic, not unlike Europe pre-1914.
If I have to choose, I'm going with Europe.
Arleare13@reddit
Depends where in the U.S., where in Latin America, and where in Europe.
petitecrivain@reddit
Generally I'd say we're closer to the UK or Ireland than to say, Paraguay, but we're not that far from Latin America. Spanish is the most commonly studied foreign language, Mexican, Cuban, and other Latin American cuisines are very popular, and Cuban, Brazilian, and Mexican music is pretty well liked.
Hopeful_Pizza_2762@reddit
Well there are both cultures here so it depends on where you are.
shampoo_mohawk_@reddit
Yeah pretty much
Extension_Plant7262@reddit
That's hilariously reductive of basically two other entire continents haha. Both?
shammy_dammy@reddit
Yes, depending on which area of the US we're talking about. Giant country with multiple different colonizing countries and immigrant groups.
Syntinena@reddit
The US is huge! It really depends what part of the country you're talking about.
Inside_Ad9026@reddit
Depends on where you live. Houston is minority majority and the biggest majority is Hispanic.
Donald_J_Duck65@reddit
Depends on where you live.
innocent_whore@reddit
it’s a big country so it depends on the pocket
MrLongWalk@reddit
Neither answer is more accurate
SnooSquirrels4991@reddit
Neither.